A trip to the dentist isn’t a big deal for most of us grown ups, but your little ones might think differently.

Being afraid of the dentist is a common phobia among children (and some adults) but can make these appointments quite a difficult ordeal for parent and child alike. 

There are numerous factors that can influence the development of any fear. These can be environmental, historical, personal or completely irrational…

There are a few reasons why this fear is such a common one. Here’s why:

A Bad Experience

Your first experiences of something often sets the tone for your attitude towards it. 

If your child’s first visits to the dentist weren’t pleasant, their likelihood of developing a fear towards future appointments is going to increase. 

This could stem from a painful memory, like a tooth being pulled, or just the ominous and unfamiliar environment that a dental office poses.

The Dental Instruments

Let’s face it… no one likes their mouth’s being prodded with metal.

The instruments and equipment that dentists use can be visually scary and they also don’t feel very nice; especially if there are needles involved. 

For a little one, these instruments alone can be enough to set them scared for life.

Pop Culture

Cartoons, books and movies often don’t help kids’ fear of the dentist.

The ‘scary dentist’ stereotype is a common one in these stories and many that depict a trip to the dentist often show the pain that goes along with it. 

Their Role Models

Anxiety toward the dentist doesn’t just exist in kids… many adults have this fear too.

For kids, the development of fears is often a case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’. That means, if they sense that their mum or dad are nervous, they are likely to be nervous too.

Sometimes it’s best to mask your own fear so you don’t make future dental appointments even more difficult!

The team at Cubby Care knows the world can be a scary place for some little ones. We’re here to help in any way that we can… we can even play dentist with them! Contact Us to learn about our kindergartens.